Automated Aircraft Approach Trajectory for Platform Landing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for aircraft approaching platforms, especially in adverse weather conditions, are manually intensive and prone to errors due to the lack of automated navigation systems that account for platform specifics and weather factors, leading to potential misinterpretation of landing targets.
Innovation Solution
A method that constructs a database of platform attributes, including identifier, coordinates, landing zone height, and radius, to determine an innovative approach trajectory compatible with existing procedures, using a navigation module to calculate initial, final, and decision points, with automatic guidance for the aircraft, considering wind direction and obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual piloting is used for instrument approach to platform, then the aircraft can be guided towards the platform area, but the crew experiences high stress and the approach is prone to errors due to constant switching between instrument panel and visual observation
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation computer automatically calculates and updates approach trajectory parameters (IAF, FAF, MAP positions) based on real-time aircraft position and platform coordinates, eliminating the need for manual computation and constant pilot intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously managing the approach guidance without requiring continuous human input or interpretation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical piloting with an automated navigation computer system that computes approach trajectories using electronic calculations. The system substitutes the mechanical process of manual instrument interpretation and control adjustments with automated electronic guidance, reducing pilot workload while maintaining or improving approach accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If no automated navigation system is used for platform approach, then the system complexity remains low, but the approach precision and safety are reduced due to manual interpretation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation computer pre-calculates approach trajectory parameters (IAF, FAF, MAP positions and coordinates) before the approach phase begins, based on stored platform coordinates and current aircraft position. This preliminary computation ensures high precision in platform location identification without requiring complex real-time calculations during the critical approach phase, thereby balancing accuracy with system complexity.
3Reliability
If the approach trajectory is calculated without considering platform geometry, then the calculation process is simpler, but the approach safety is compromised due to inability to account for platform-specific landing zones and obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates platform-specific geometric attributes (landing zone coordinates, platform radius, obstacle positions) into the trajectory calculation process. Each platform in the database has customized geometric parameters that tailor the approach path to local conditions. This localized customization ensures safety by accounting for specific platform characteristics while maintaining manageable complexity through structured data organization in the platform database.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for approaching a platform (PF) with an aircraft (1). A construction step (STP1) of a database (5) including, for each stored platform (PF), attributes comprising at least a platform identifier, platform coordinates, a landing height (HDECK) of a landing zone of the platform, and the radius (OR) of a circle in which the platform is inscribed. During a parameterization step (STP2), the target platform to be reached, a heading (CRS) to be followed, and a height parameter relative to a minimum decision altitude (MDA) are determined. During a trajectory construction step (STP3), the position of an initial approach point (IAF), a final approach point (FAF), an offset point (OIP), and a decision point (MAP) are determined.